The Ohio Department of Agriculture Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has reported a confirmed case of equine West Nile virus (WNV) in Columbiana County. The 18-year-old Thoroughbred mare with unknown vaccination status showed acute onset of clinical signs on September 4, including neurologic signs, weakness in the hind limbs, muscle fasciculations, heart rate >100 bpm, and a temperature of 103 F. The mare was euthanized later that day. This is the 11th case of equine West Nile virus in Ohio for 2017.
Wisconsin Equine EEE Cases Rise to 23
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection has confirmed two new cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in horses for 2017. Those cases bring to total to 23 in the state this year.
The first horse, located in Price County, was a yearling Friesian stallion of unknown vaccination history purchased this spring. He began showing clinical signs (fever, ataxia, head tilt, head pressing and disorientation) on September 20 and a veterinarian was called to the farm that day. The horse was euthanized
The second confirmed EEE case in a horse occured in an unvaccinated 10-year-old Appaloosa gelding from Marathon County. The horse began showing clinical signs (fever, recumbency, paddling) on October 2 and was sampled and euthanized that day.
The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) works to protect horses and the horse industry from the threat of infectious diseases in North America. The communication system is designed to seek and report real time information about disease outbreaks similar to how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerts the human population about diseases in people.
